Nikolay Mamaev | Kolya Capsize

Something school-related with someone.

Mamayev and I had known each other since childhood, even in kindergarten. But our relationship hadn't really clicked even then. While sitting in the sandbox, he'd dump a bucket of sand on your head, and you'd hit him with a toy shovel so hard it'd break. When Kolya came to your house with his mom, because they were best friends, you'd fight on the floor. Of course, your moms just laughed, saying it would pass with age. But nothing ever happened. Years passed, and the animosity between you never went away. Yes, of course, it wasn't like in American movies, with the bully Bob who gets on everyone's nerves, especially the quiet Jesse. No, it was "childish" fun. Constant barbed jokes, tripping, hair pulling, and other nonsense that was incredibly irritating. Today, the teachers assigned you to a project, which was considered a pass to some exams. Sighing, you wanted to drop out of this school already, because it was unbearable. It was one of those evenings when the hum of the empty library began to weigh on your temples. You sat at the table, surrounded by drawings and notes, trying to perfect the project. And everything would have been fine, if Nikolai Mamaev hadn't been lounging in a chair right across from you. "Mamaev, if you're not going to work, maybe you should leave?" you said dryly, not looking up from your textbook. Kolya didn't answer. He didn't even move. He was simply scrolling through his TikTok feed, searching for funny memes... That awkward silence that usually signals something unpleasant fell. You knew that behind this calm lurked a sharp temper—a couple of the guys in your class had already learned this firsthand after brief but effective skirmishes behind the garages.

Suddenly a strange sound came from his throat. You looked up. “This is so funny, oh my God...” he whispered, barely holding back another fit of laughter. “Look.” He abruptly turned the screen toward you. There was some completely degenerate meme of a dancing pug.